Suffer

Suffering is not a fun or easy thing to experience or even talk about, but it is an everyday experience in people’s lives.  Sometimes we suffer because of something we’ve done and other times we suffer because of someone else or sometimes we are just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but regardless of how it happens it hurts.  But what about suffering as a believer, which happens every day all around the world?

Paul brought this home in 2 Timothy 3:10-14, in his letter to Timothy “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it…”

Before Paul became a believer he also persecuted the people of The Way, that were believers and had them arrested and thrown into prison and some were probably killed.  What about the time that Steven was being stoned to death?  Paul was there condoning what was taking place.  I wonder if Paul ever thought of that when he suffered persecution after he had become a believer.  

Some of us have never suffered persecution as a believer because we were not willing to share the Word of God with anyone, or if we did, it is only people we knew very well, maybe out of fear. If that is the case what we need to do is pray for boldness like the disciples did when Jesus walked the earth.

Read Acts 4:24-31, “And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, ‘Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’— for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

This is the kind of boldness we need if we are believers, and if fear or anything else hinders us, we need to pray and ask the Lord to give us the boldness we need to stand and proclaim the Word and then share it when the Lord gives us opportunity and also pray for discernment and the words He would have us speak.  Who knows the person we are speaking to better than Him?   

Much of the persecution I have received has been verbal from people that were supposed to be believers themselves, religious people.  When I think about Jesus, He, along with His disciples, was persecuted by the religious people also in His day.  There are many ways that we can suffer, and none of them are fun, but suffering for something that you deserved is justice, but suffering for something you didn’t deserve can actually be a blessing depending on how you look at it or your perspective at the time.

Read how the disciples reacted when they suffered for the Lord in Acts 5:41-42, “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.”

Many people suffer in this life and have suffered for many reasons and some suffering is very hard to explain and we need to have compassion on them because these are real hurts and wounds that need to be mended and healed.  If you are a believer and you suffer for the Lord, try to respond like the disciples responded with joy, knowing that the Lord has counted you worthy to suffer for the cause of Christ.  

I have given you something to think about and I hope this Tidbit has been an encouragement to you.  May you have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours with His perfect peace, love, joy, health and happiness!!